Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen disproved the adage that American lives have no second acts. After decades as a leading man in genre motion pictures like "Forbidden Planet" (1956) and "The Plainsman" (1966), Nielsen inserted his serious, authoritative persona into the parody-based comedies of the Zucker brothers and enjoyed a highly successful second career arc in films like "Airplane" (1980) and especially the "Naked Gun" series (1988, 1991, 1994), as well as "Scary Movie 3" (2003) and "Scary Movie 4" (2006). The key to the silver-haired leading man's timeless success was his deadpan delivery and seeming obliviousness to situations rife with sight gags and slapstick comedy. There was simply no one like him and people of all ages responded for over two decades to his brilliantly empty-headed persona.
Photos
Leslie Nielsen
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14% |
|
Stan Helsing | Kay (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Slap Shot 3: The Junior League | Mayor of Charlestown (Character) | - | 2008 |
13% |
|
An American Carol |
Grandpa/ |
$7.0M | 2008 |
16% |
|
Superhero Movie | Uncle Albert (Character) | $25.9M | 2008 |
34% |
|
Scary Movie 4 | President Harris (Character) | $90.7M | 2006 |
35% |
|
Scary Movie 3 | The President of the United States (Character) | $110.0M | 2003 |
57% |
|
Men With Brooms | Gordon Cutter (Character) | $4.2M | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
Camouflage | Jack Potter (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Kevin of the North | Thornton (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Santa Who? | Santa Claus (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
2001: A Space Travesty | Richard "Dick" Dix (Character) | - | 2000 |
18% |
|
Wrongfully Accused | Ryan Harrison (Character) | $9.6M | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Harvey | Dr. Chumley (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Safety Patrol | Mr. Penn (Character) | - | 1998 |
9% |
|
Mr. Magoo | Mr. Quincy Magoo (Character) | $21.4M | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Family Plan | Harry Haber (Character) | - | 1997 |
7% |
|
Spy Hard | Dick Steele (Character) | $27.0M | 1996 |
11% |
|
Dracula: Dead and Loving It | Count Dracula (Character) | $9.9M | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Rent-a-Kid | Harry Haber (Character) | - | 1995 |
58% |
|
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult | Lt. Frank Drebin (Character) | $48.1M | 1994 |
23% |
|
Surf Ninjas | Colonel Chi (Character) | $4.9M | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Unknown Marx Brothers | Unknown (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Digger | Arthur Evrensel (Character) | - | 1993 |
58% |
|
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear | Det. Lt. Frank Drebin (Character) | $84.3M | 1991 |
7% |
|
All I Want for Christmas | Santa (Character) | $13.9M | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Chance of a Lifetime | Lloyd Dixon (Character) | - | 1991 |
0% |
|
Repossessed | Father Jebedaiah Mayii (Character) | $1.3M | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
Dangerous Curves | Greg Krevske (Character) | - | 1988 |
86% |
|
The Naked Gun | Lt. Frank Drebin (Character) | $77.9M | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nightstick | Thad Evans (Character) | - | 1987 |
42% |
|
Nuts | Allen Green (Character) | $29.5M | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
|
Home Is Where the Hart Is | Sheriff Nashville Schwartz (Character) | $8.2K | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery | Senator Erdain (Character) | - | 1987 |
17% |
|
Soul Man | Mr. Dunbar (Character) | $27.3M | 1986 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Patriot | Admiral Frazer (Character) | - | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Striker's Mountain | Jim McKay (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Blade in Hong Kong | Harry Ingersoll (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Reckless Disregard | Bob Franklin (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cave-In! | Joe Johnson (Character) | - | 1983 |
27% |
|
Wrong Is Right | Mallory (Character) | - | 1982 |
65% |
|
Creepshow | Richard Vickers ("Something To Tide You Over") (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet |
|
Foxfire Light | Reece Morgan (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Creature Wasn't Nice | Capt. Jamieson (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet |
|
Naked Space | Unknown (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet |
|
Spaceship | Capt. Jamieson (Character) | - | 1981 |
45% |
|
Prom Night | Mr. Hammond (Character) | - | 1980 |
97% |
|
Airplane! | Doctor Rumack (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | OHMS | Governor (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet |
|
City on Fire | Mayor William Dudley (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | IFR | Counselor Hollis Barnes (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Institute for Revenge | Counselor Hollis Barnes (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little Mo | Nelson Fisher (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Amsterdam Kill | Riley Knight (Character) | - | 1978 |
14% |
|
Viva Knievel! | Stanley Millard (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sixth and Main | John Doe (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Something Is Out There | Paul Jenson (Character) | - | 1977 |
40% |
|
Day of the Animals | Paul Jenson (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet |
|
Project: Kill | John Trevor (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Grand Jury | John Williams (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Brink's: The Great Robbery | Agent Norman Houston (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Assassins of Revenge | John Trevor (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Can Ellen Be Saved? | Arnold Lindsey (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Guadalcanal Odyssey | Narrator | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | King of the Underwater World | Narrator | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | And Millions Will Die | Jack Gallagher (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Snatched | Bill Sutter (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Letters | Derek Childs (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Return of Charlie Chan | Alexander Hadrachi (Character) | - | 1973 |
80% |
|
The Poseidon Adventure | Captain Harrison (Character) | - | 1972 |
No Score Yet |
|
They Call It Murder | Frank Antrim (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler | Harry Walsh (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Aquarians | Official (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hauser's Memory | Joseph Slaughter (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Night Slaves | Sheriff Henshaw (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet |
|
Four Rode Out | Mr. Brown (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Trial Run | Jason Harkness (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Deadlock | Lieutenant Sam Danforth (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet |
|
How to Commit Marriage | Phil Fletcher (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | How to Steal the World | Gen. Maximilian Harmon (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Counterpoint | Victor Rice (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dayton's Devils | Frank Dayton (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Companions in Nightmare | Dr. Neesden (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hawaii Five-0 | Brent (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shadow Over Elveron | Sheriff Verne Drover (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunfight in Abilene | Grant Evers (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Reluctant Astronaut | Major Fred Gifford (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Code Name: Heraclitus | Fryer (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Beau Geste | Lt. De Ruse (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Plainsman | Col. George Armstrong Custer (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet |
|
Harlow | Richard Manley (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dark Intruder | Brett Kingsford (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
See How They Run | Elliott Green (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
Night Train to Paris | Alan Holiday (Character) | - | 1964 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Sheepman |
Col. Stephen Bedford/ |
- | 1958 |
No Score Yet |
|
Tammy and the Bachelor | Peter Brent (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hot Summer Night | William Joel Partain (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ransom | Charlie Telfer (Character) | - | 1956 |
94% |
|
Forbidden Planet | Commander John J. Adams (Character) | - | 1956 |
40% |
|
The Opposite Sex | Steve Hilliard (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Vagabond King | Thibault d'Aussigny (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Battle of Gettysburg | Narrator | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Studio One Anthology | Unknown (Character) | - | 1948 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 64% | Family Guy | Dr. Rumack (archive footage) (Guest Voice) | 2007 |
No Score Yet | 83% | Due South | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 1996 1998 |
No Score Yet | 94% | The Golden Girls | Lucas Hollingsworth (Guest Star) | 1992 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saturday Night Live | Host | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Who's the Boss? | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987-1988 |
No Score Yet | 64% | Highway to Heaven | Richard R. Benson (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | David Everett (Guest Star) | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 227 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Fantoccini (Character) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Finder of Lost Loves | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hotel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |
90% | 93% | Police Squad! | Det. Frank Drebin (Character) | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Littlest Hobo | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1980 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fantasy Island | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1978-1980 |
No Score Yet | 80% | Columbo | Geronimo; A.J. Henderson (Guest Star) | 1971 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cannon | Erich Strasser (Guest Star) | 1973-1975 |
No Score Yet | 100% | Kung Fu | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rookies | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kojak | Michael Hagar (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Streets of San Francisco | Inspector John T. Connor (Guest Star) | 1973-1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barnaby Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1973 |
No Score Yet | 87% | M*A*S*H | Col. Buzz Brighton (Guest Star) | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mod Squad | Rusty Bryson (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | 100% | Night Gallery | Unknown (Character) | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Name of the Game | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bold Ones: The Protectors | Deputy Police Chief Sam Danforth (Character) | 1969-1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Big Valley | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Jess Trevor (Guest Star) | 1969 |
100% | No Score Yet | The Man From U.N.C.L.E. | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | It Takes a Thief | SIA Central Control (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cimarron Strip | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Virginian | Cleve Mason (Guest Star) | 1964-1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Farmer's Daughter | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1966 |
No Score Yet | 100% | The Wild, Wild West | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dr. Kildare | Harry Kleber (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Loner | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ben Casey | Dr. Jeff English (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Daniel Boone | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Jeremy Dow (Guest Star) | 1960 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Fugitive | Martin C. Rowland (Guest Star) | 1963-1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Route 66 | Doc Duncan (Guest Star) | 1960 1962 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Rudy Cox (Character) | 1958 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Thriller | Unknown (Character) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Studio One | Stan Janicek (Character) | 1949-1951 1954 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tales of Tomorrow | Unknown (Character) | 1952-1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Suspense | Unknown (Character) | 1950-1951 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lights Out | Unknown (Character) | 1950-1951 |